Wayne Rooney maintains it would be a gamble to hand Roberto De Zerbi the Manchester United head coach role and has backed former colleague Michael Carrick instead. The current caretaker boss has secured 22 points from a potential 27 since his return to the club.

United sit third in the Premier League standings and are once again competing for Champions League qualification following a dismal previous campaign. Rooney suggests that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s earlier tenure at Old Trafford is adversely affecting the views that Carrick should be appointed as the next permanent head coach.

The ex-United forward initially took charge on a temporary basis before receiving the position permanently, only to be dismissed in 2021 following defeat in the Europa League final. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Rooney outlined his reasoning for supporting Carrick, while identifying De Zerbi – among various prominent managers linked with the vacancy – as a riskier option than the current United interim boss despite his top-flight credentials.

Addressing whether Solskjaer’s spell has shaped opinions regarding Carrick’s candidacy for the permanent role, he said: “Yeah. They are [different humans], and obviously, Michael was part of that group with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as well, and I think Ole actually done OK with Manchester United, got to a Europa League final and was unlucky not to win that.

“[They] Lost on penalties, but, yeah, I think the club has needed rebuilding a little bit, if you like, in terms of trying to get back to the top and back to winning major trophies. Michael knows, he’s been at that club, he was at that club for a long time, he knows what that takes, and, yeah, he’s a good manager, I think he’s shown that.

“He’s shown everyone he has no problem managing at this level, the players have responded to him, the fans are responding to him, so why would you change it? Why would you go and try to find someone who is a risk like if you say De Zerbi, it’s another one where you’re going into thinking this could be a risk and you take another backwards step if that doesn’t work, so, for me, (Carrick) has to get it.”

Yet Rooney’s former England colleague Steven Gerrard holds De Zerbi in exceptionally high regard. The ex-Liverpool midfielder has previously praised the former Brighton manager, particularly following Ethan Nwaneri’s loan switch to Marseille.

Discussing the loan arrangement on TNT Sports, Gerrard remarked: “I love it, I love it. I think, if this works that everyone can be a winner from it. I think Mikel Arteta has been extremely clever here because he’s sending him to De Zerbi as well, who has got a track record for improving players, and he will give him the time and education and development and he’ll get more game time playing for Marseille.

“If he gets, samples the league, samples the experiences like tonight it’s not going to do him any harm. He’s a top talent, and now he’s got to go and get experience and this will be great for him for the future.”

De Zerbi departed the Ligue 1 side mere weeks afterwards but has been connected with the managerial vacancies at both United and Tottenham Hotspur, though he has dismissed any prospect of returning to management before the summer.

Other names including Oliver Glasner, Luis Enrique, Andoni Iraola and Julian Nagelsmann have similarly been suggested as potential contenders for the United position.